Heart of the Ocean
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU. Klaus and Elijah, in an effort to escape their father, are traveling aboard the Titanic. The journey gets interesting when they meet Katherine and Caroline. KLAROLINE & KALIJAH, WITH SOME SINN LATER ON
1. Chapter 1

**Heart of the Ocean**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: I got the idea for this a while back. It's an AU (it was originally going to be an AU/AH, but I changed my mind), and the plot is this: While on the run from their father, Klaus and Elijah head to America aboard the RMS Titanic. It is here that they meet Katherine Pierce and Caroline Forbes and the seeds of romance begin to bloom.**_

_**Don't ask why I thought of this, but here it is. No spoilers, except it's not going to be a copy of the movie.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Southampton, England, Wednesday, April 10, 1912_

**K**laus Mikaelson had a smile on his face as he looked at the luxurious ship in front of him. The reason he was so happy was because this was his ticket to salvation. He had been running from his vindictive father for centuries, and, after hearing that there was going to be a new ship heading to America, he got the idea in his head to use it as a means of escaping him. His brother, Elijah, looked at it as well, marveling at how grand it was.

"The humans weren't joking when they mentioned just how big this ship is," he said. "It's definitely not like the clipper ships of last century."

"It's not the size that impresses me, brother," said Klaus. "It's the fact that this will be our means of escaping Father. We have to be ahead of him at all costs, and he certainly won't be expecting us to use the _Titanic_ as our getaway vessel."

Elijah then turned his attention to his brother. "While we're on this journey, Niklaus, it is in our best interest to blend in with the humans as much as possible. We have no way of knowing if they've got vervain on board to prevent vampires from compelling them."

"Point taken," said Klaus. "And as far as blending in, I shall pass myself off as a wealthy artist who is traveling to America in pursuit of my next greatest masterpiece." He smiled at Elijah. "And what will _your_ alias be, brother?"

"My _alias_, as you put it, Niklaus, will be that of a professor who has been transferred to a university in America."

Klaus smirked. "Ah, excellent. I'll bet they'll be loving that up." He checked his pocket watch, seeing that the time read 11:45, fifteen minutes until departure. "Well, we should board. The ship is going to be leaving in fifteen minutes."

Elijah nodded and followed after his brother. He got another look at the marvelous ship as they walked up the first class walkway, glancing briefly at the third class passengers that were being screened for lice before boarding, finding it appalling that they were being treated like animals. Honestly, just because they were from a different social status, that didn't make it right to subject them to prejudice like that.

_Elsewhere..._

Another car pulled up and when the doors opened, out stepped Katherine Pierce and her friend, Caroline Forbes, a pair of lady vampires who had also booked a first class ticket aboard the luxurious _Titanic_. Caroline eyed it curiously as they walked toward the walkway for the first class passengers, the stewards carrying their bags.

"It's definitely everything we've heard about," said Katherine. "I tell you, Caroline, the things that the humans can create. If it isn't skyscrapers, it's ships."

"Is it true what they're saying about the ship being unsinkable?" the blonde vampire replied. "Humans do have the tendency to exaggerate."

Katherine laughed at her friend's skepticism. "Oh, Caroline, will you stop? I'm sure that they _were_ telling the truth about the ship being unsinkable. Do you think that they'd be foolish enough to allow people to travel on a _sinkable_ ship?"

"You have a point there."

"Of course I do," said Katherine. "Now, you know the plan, right? Blend in with the humans and try to show as much restraint as possible. After all, they could be using vervain to prevent compulsion. And, if anyone asks, we're a couple of wealthy orphan girls on our way to New York."

Caroline smiled and said nothing more as she and Katherine walked up the walkway, passing the third class passengers who were still being screened for lice. She scrunched up her nose at the sight of it, not exactly finding it to her liking. How paranoid were these humans anyway? Just because someone was of a different social status, that didn't give them the right to treat them like animals.

Once they got to the top of the walkway, they looked on their ticket to see where their staterooms were. They were on B deck, in room B57. Nodding, they headed down to their cabin, followed by the stewards that had carried the bags from the car.

Finally, at the stroke of noon, the _Titanic_ was untied from the pier and slowly began to pull out of the harbor. Klaus smiled as he saw the onlookers waving goodbye to the passengers. Even though he didn't know a single soul, he did as the others did and waved.

The waving continued until the ship had left the harbor completely and once it was over, Klaus made his way to the stateroom that he and Elijah were sharing, room B59. He maintained his smile, mainly because he knew that this was going to be a most interesting journey for them.

_**Note: Thus begins my new story. Yes, there is going to be romance eventually, and I shall have them meet. For now, I'm just setting up the plot. And yes, Klaus, Elijah, Caroline, and Katherine are all vampires.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Heart of the Ocean," Klaus, Elijah, Katherine, and Caroline all board the Titanic, each with their own reason for making the voyage.**_

_That Evening..._

**K**atherine smiled as she admired her reflection in the mirror after she had finished dressing for dinner. She wanted at least look the part of a society girl, especially if she wanted to blend in with the other passengers. Caroline emerged a few minutes later, also dressed for dinner, even though she didn't feel like tagging along. The journey had only just begun and already, she was showing signs of a lack of interest.

"I think I'm going to skip dinner tonight," she said. "You know, enjoy the night air."

Katherine looked at her friend. "Skip dinner? Caroline, why?"

"I just want to be by myself right now."

Katherine wanted to ask, but decided not to, since the answer was already in the blonde's eyes. "All right, I suppose I could go to dinner alone. Just be careful, okay? I want to see you back here in one piece."

Caroline nodded and walked out of the stateroom, heading toward the elevator that would take her up to A deck. She couldn't explain why she felt the need to skip dinner, but then again, she knew why. She felt that there was something missing from her life ever since she became a vampire, something that she hadn't told Katherine about.

_Klaus and Elijah's Stateroom – That Same Moment..._

"Are you sure that you don't want to join me, Niklaus?"

Elijah was just about finished preparing himself for dinner and he had just been informed that Klaus wasn't going to be joining him.

"You go on without me, brother," he replied. "I want to take in the air on deck."

Elijah raised an eyebrow at him. "You were just up there when we pulled out of Southampton."

"True, but the night sky is supposed to exquisite tonight," said Klaus, grabbing his sketch book. "I thought maybe I'd find some inspiration." He went toward the door. "I do apologize for not joining you this evening, Elijah, but when my muse calls, I must answer her."

Elijah barely had time to reply when Klaus was already out the door. _What I am going to do with him?_, he thought. _Niklaus has always been so impetuous, even when we were still human. Still, I hope he doesn't get into trouble on deck._

_Elsewhere..._

Caroline leaned against the rail, closing her eyes as the wind caressed her face and combed through her golden blonde hair. In that moment, she felt peaceful. Although she still had quite a bit to learn about the ways of the world, Caroline was not naïve. She had known betrayal and heartache. In fact, the night Katherine turned her, she was dealt quite a blow when she found her former beau, Tyler Lockwood, in bed with a girl named Hayley Marshall. She didn't remember much after that, only that one minute they were alive and looking at her, the next minute, they were corpses with bullet holes in their heads. Scared that she would be caught, Caroline fled and went to find Katherine, explaining the situation to her and then asking to be turned.

"Well, it would appear that I'm not the only one who decided to skip dinner tonight."

Caroline's eyes shot open at the sound of an accented voice behind her and turned to see a man standing there. He was rather handsome, with short, slightly curly dark blonde hair and greenish blue eyes. He was wearing an elegant suit, which meant that he was dressed to go to dinner in the first class dining hall. Though, why did he skip dinner to do the same thing she was doing?

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I didn't realize that anyone else was going to be out here. I'll just leave."

"No, love, stay," said the man. "I mean you no harm. In fact, I'd be honored to have a beautiful lady such as yourself keep me company." He smiled. "By the way, my name is Niklaus Mikaelson, but you can call me either Nik or Klaus. It doesn't really matter because I answer to both." He approached her and took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "Who might you be, fair lady?"

"It's nice to meet you. I think I'll call you Nik. As for me, my name is Caroline Forbes."

That earned her another smile. _Caroline. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I have a feeling she's going to be haunting my dreams tonight. _"And are you traveling alone, Caroline?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm traveling with a friend. See, we're wealthy orphan girls looking for a new life in America. Of course, we have yet to determine what kind of life we'll make for ourselves once we arrive, but hey, we've got a long voyage ahead of us, so we have plenty of time to decide."

As he listened to her speak, Klaus took the opportunity to look at Caroline. She truly was a beauty, with golden blonde hair that rivaled the summer sun, sparkling blue eyes that he could get lost in, and a radiant body that was covered by the blue evening gown she was wearing.

"Well, it's good to travel with someone you can trust," he said. "I'm traveling with my brother, Elijah. You see, our father is a bit of a tyrant, and we're looking to get away from him."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't be it better if you just tried to talk it out?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," said Klaus. "Our father is not the kind of man you reason with." He sighed and then heard the band playing, courtesy of his vampire hearing. "Would you care to dance, Caroline?"

"Sure, I'd be glad to."

Klaus smiled and pulled her close to him as they danced to the music of the band, thinking about nothing else except the moment they were having.

_That Same Moment..._

Elijah was descending the grand staircase on his way to the first class dining room, his mind on nothing in particular, when he accidentally bumped into a brunette, nearly knocking her to the ground. However, he was able to catch her before she fell.

"I do apologize for that, miss. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "I wasn't watching where I was going." She cleared her throat. "But, I appreciate the quick catch."

"I couldn't let you fall," said Elijah. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you." He cleared his throat. "By the way, I am Elijah Mikaelson. Who might you be, my lady?"

"Katherine Pierce. It's nice to meet you, Elijah. Do you make it a habit of catching young ladies before they fall to the ground?"

"Not usually, you're the first," said Elijah. "What made you decide to sail on this magnificent ship?"

"My friend and I are wealthy orphan girls," said Katherine. "We're looking to find a new life in America, and when we heard that the White Star Line was launching the _Titanic_, we figured, 'Why not?'" She smiled at him. "Tell me, Elijah, what was your reason for deciding to sail aboard the _Titanic_? Was it a desire to start over in a new country?"

"I have a reason for choosing this ship," said Elijah. "It has to do with my father. My brother, Niklaus, and I have been running from him for years. Well, centuries, actually, and we're looking to seek refuge in America."

Katherine nodded. "I see. Well, at least you're not lonely. If you want more company, I'd be more than willing to volunteer." She smiled. "In fact, why don't we start with dinner and see how the evening goes from there?"

"Won't your friend wonder where you are?"

"She decided to take the air on deck," said Katherine. "I think we're okay."

Elijah nodded and offered her his arm, which she took and they made their way to the dining room to join the other passengers. Even though they just met, Elijah couldn't help but think that Katherine was the most beautiful woman in the world and planned to get to know her over the course of the voyage.

_**Note: Here it is, the next chapter of "Heart of the Ocean." Our leads have met and I definitely think there is an instant attraction. :) Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Heart of the Ocean," Klaus and Elijah meet Caroline and Katherine.**_

_**No spoilers, just follow along. I apologize for being behind with the updates. Other things were demanding my attention.**_

_Later that Night..._

**C**aroline tried not to blush as Klaus escorted her back to her stateroom. They had spent almost half the night together up on the deck of the ship, talking about anything they could think of. Truth was, neither of them wanted the night to end because Klaus enjoyed Caroline's company just as much as Caroline enjoyed his. For some reason, she couldn't help but get the feeling that she was meant to go up on deck tonight. Up until now, Caroline wasn't exactly a believer in fate, but perhaps after being with Klaus tonight made her change her mind.

"You're awfully quiet, Caroline. Is something the matter?"

Klaus' voice brought her out of her reverie and she looked at him. "Well, no, but I can't help but get the feeling that I was _supposed_ to go up on deck tonight. I mean, I know that this sounds ridiculous and I'm sure you think so too, but it was though fate had instructed me to forgo dinner with Katherine to go up on deck. If it didn't, we probably wouldn't have met."

"It's not ridiculous, love," said Klaus. "I'm thinking the exact same thing."

Caroline gave him a quizzical look. "Really? You're not just saying that to humor me?"

"No, I mean it," said Klaus. "I feel the same way. Fate brought us together tonight, Caroline, and I have a strong feeling that somehow, we were meant to be on the same ship, even if our reasons aren't the same."

Caroline nodded. She couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment, because, in all honesty, what else _could_ she say? She wanted to think that it was because just looking at Klaus made words fail, even though she tried to tell herself that it was something else entirely. Still, there was something about him that was just compelling her to want to stay with him and not go back to her stateroom, despite the late hour.

It was long before they arrived at the door leading to her stateroom. Caroline fumbled for the key, dropping it onto the floor. "Damn it, I'm such a klutz!"

Klaus saw her bend down to get it. "No, love, let me get it for you."

"No, Klaus, it's my key," she replied. "I dropped it, so I should get it."

However, Klaus ignored and bent knelt down anyway. Caroline went to reach for the key at the same time that he did and their fingers touched, the impact of which resulted in a furious blush on Caroline's face. Damn it, could this moment _be_ any more awkward? His eyes on hers, Klaus picked up the key and handed it to her. Caroline snatched it back from and stood up, turning toward the door to open it. However, she never got that far, because Klaus gently grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, after which he framed her face with his hands, capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss. After the initial shock wore off, Caroline returned the kiss, placing her hands on top of his.

_I certainly wasn't expecting him to kiss me this soon,_ she thought. _But, I'll admit that it feels really good to be kissed by him, and to kiss him._

Caroline then stepped back, reluctantly breaking the kiss and looked into Klaus' greenish blue eyes with her blue ones. She felt a heat running through her, a heat that she enjoyed against her will. Shit, she wanted more, and it felt wrong to want more. However, she was somewhat relieved that Klaus didn't take it any further. After all, they didn't know each other well enough yet to take things to the next level.

There was a bit of a long silence before she said, "Good night, Klaus."

She kissed him one more time before using her key to open her stateroom door and walked in. Klaus watched her as she went in just to make sure that she was safe. Once she was safely inside, he turned and went to his own stateroom, using his key to enter. When he walked in, he saw Elijah on the private promenade deck. A closer look told him that he was with a woman, a brunette, and they were kissing, just like he and Caroline had been just a short while ago. Could it be that Elijah had finally found someone? Such a thought brought a smile to the hybrid's face. He had been wondering when his brother was going to find happiness again.

He was still standing there when Elijah came into the sitting room, followed by the woman he had been kissing. When he saw Klaus standing there, he was a bit startled. "Niklaus, how long have you been watching?"

"Long enough to see that you've found happiness at last, brother," he replied. "Am I to be introduced to the fair lady or are you going to deny me that privilege?"

Elijah cleared his throat. "Oh, forgive me." He turned to the brunette. "Katherine Pierce, this is my brother, Niklaus, the one I told you about at dinner. Niklaus, this is Katherine."

Katherine smiled politely. "It's nice to finally meet you, Niklaus. Elijah has told me quite a bit about you."

"Has he really?" said Klaus. "Well, I wouldn't imagine my brother providing that much information on the first date." He maintained his smile and took her hand, bringing it to his lips and planting a chaste kiss on her knuckles. "In any case, it is good to finally meet you as well, Katherine. And, please, call me Klaus, or Nik if you are so bold." _Though, I would prefer her not to, since Caroline said she'd call me Nik._

"No, I think I'll call you Klaus," said Katherine. "It sounds more mature." She smiled again. "By any chance, have you seen Caroline?"

"I have," said Klaus. "As a matter of fact, I just spent the evening with her up on deck. And, just a short while ago, I escorted back to her stateroom."

Katherine nodded. "Well, I appreciate the fact that you saw to it that she was safe. I would hate to have anything happen to her. We're practically sisters, she and I, and we look out for each other, just like you and Elijah." She sighed and looked toward the clock on the table, seeing what time it was. "Well, I suppose I should be heading back to my stateroom as well." She turned to Elijah after Klaus released her hand. "It was lovely meeting you, Elijah, and I do hope that all four of us can get together soon. I would like it if Caroline met you."

Elijah nodded. "I would like that as well. Would tomorrow evening be too soon? You and Caroline can join my brother and I for dinner."

"That would be delightful," said Katherine. "When I see Caroline, I'll be sure to extend that invitation."

That being said, she kissed Elijah one time and headed toward the door, letting herself out. Klaus watched her leave and then turned back to his brother, seeing the smile on his face. "It would seem that both of us have been fortunate this evening. I met the lovely Caroline, and you the lovely Katherine. They're a delightful pair of young ladies, wouldn't you say?"

Elijah nodded. "Indeed they are. I don't believe I've ever met a more remarkable woman than Katerina in my existence."

"Ah, so it's Katerina now?"

"That's her real name," said Elijah. "She told me when we were at dinner." He reached into his pocket. "Of course, that's not the only thing that happened at dinner. One of the stewards gave this to me. It's a letter from Finn."

"Oh, really?" said Klaus. "What does our exalted older brother have to say?"

Elijah unfolded the paper and looked at the words. "He says that he's currently in Ireland, but he looks forward to seeing us. He even says that he's bringing a guest with him, a lady vampire by the name of Sage. According to him, she is 'more beautiful than all angels in Heaven.'"

"In other words, he fancies her," said Klaus. "I'll say this for Finn, he's certainly a romantic."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "He's not the only one, apparently. I sense that you are glowing, Niklaus. Am I wrong in guessing that you and Caroline did more than just talk during your time together on deck?"

"A gentleman never kisses and tells, brother."

"Which essentially means I'm _not_ wrong."

Klaus sighed. "So what if we did? We couldn't help what happened, just like you couldn't help what happened between you and Katerina on the promenade deck."

Before Elijah could answer him, Klaus turned on his heel and walked toward the bedroom to get ready for bed. Of course, after the no doubt wonderful evening he had with Caroline, he probably wouldn't be able to get much sleep, especially since the kiss they shared would be haunting his dreams.

_**Note: I think I'll end Chapter 3 here, since I can't think of anything else to add. And there will be more than kissing eventually. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Heart of the Ocean," Klaus escorts Caroline to her stateroom, kisses her good night, and then, when he returns to his own stateroom, he meets Katherine.**_

_**No spoilers, just keep reading and you'll see what I've got in store for you! Enjoy! :)**_

_The Next Afternoon..._

**K**laus sat in one of the chairs on deck, busily working in his sketch book. He had been unable to sleep last night, since he couldn't get Caroline out of his head. She was a beautiful angel that had awakened something in him that he thought was dead and all he wanted was to be with her. In fact, that was the subject of the drawing he was doing. He had fallen for her, and yet, they knew very little about each other. In fact, they knew _nothing _about each other. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't find out as time went on. After all, the ship would be arriving in New York by Tuesday evening, and by that time, Klaus had hoped that he would know more about the little blonde vampire that captivated him so.

"Is this seat taken?"

He was then startled out of his reverie by a familiar feminine voice and looked to see Caroline herself standing there. She looked stunning today in the green dress she was wearing, since it went well with her radiant blonde hair and brought out the blue in her eyes.

"No, not at all," he replied. "You're welcome to join me."

"Are you sure?" said Caroline. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, love," said Klaus. "In fact, I was hoping that I'd run into you today. Of course, with our staterooms being so close to each other, we were bound to run into each other again at some point."

"That's true," said Caroline, sitting down on the chair next to his. "You know, Klaus, you made quite an impression on me last night."

"Did I really?" said Klaus. "I hope it was a good impression."

"Oh, it was, believe me," said Caroline. "In fact, it might have been a little _too _good. I couldn't sleep at all because I kept thinking about the kiss."

Klaus smirked. "Well, I think it runs both ways, Caroline, because it did the exact same thing to me. I couldn't sleep either. The memory of that kiss kept me awake for hours. I have never met anyone quite as remarkable as you."

Caroline looked away. "Please, Klaus, you shouldn't say things like that. I'm really not that remarkable. Hell, I don't even think I'm good enough for anyone."

"Who told you that?"

"The man I thought I loved," said Caroline. "Turns out he didn't love me back. I found him in bed with someone else. When I confronted him about it, he told me straight out that he was really in love with the woman I found him in bed with and that I wasn't worthy of anyone."

Klaus growled low in his throat. "That bastard! He had no right saying that to you! I have half a mind to track him down and kill him for what he's done!"

"Actually, he's already dead," said Caroline. "I killed him after he said that horrible thing to me. Of course, I don't remember much about it, because I completely blacked out. The only way I knew that both him and his little bitch were dead was the blood I had on my hands."

Klaus said nothing to that, just nodded. He wasn't about to ask her any more questions about the double homicide she committed in self defense, since he knew that it would only upset her more. Before he could say anything, Caroline noticed the sketch book in his lap.

"Are you an artist?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you were an artist," she replied. "I see you have a sketch book open on your lap."

Klaus looked down and saw what she was looking at, smiling again. "Why, yes, I am. Art is one of my passions." He handed it to her. "Would you like to see some of my work?"

Caroline took the pad from him. "I would love to."

She then began to thumb through the sketches, marveling at the detail that went into every single one of them. _My God, this man has quite a talent. All of the drawings in this book are amazing. I wonder if he's ever considered selling one of them to a museum?_ "Nik, these are amazing. You're very good."

"Thank you," said Klaus. "I like to capture the moment."

"And you certainly did." Caroline then noticed the more recent drawings. "I like these latest ones. The woman in them is very beautiful."

"She should be," said Klaus. "She's you."

"Me?" said Caroline. "You're drawing _me_?"

"Of course I am," said Klaus. "You don't know the kind of power you have over me, Caroline." He gently placed his hand over hers. "I realize that we haven't known each other very long, but I feel like I've known you all my life."

"You do?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, and I want to get to know you, Caroline." He brought his other hand up to her face, stroking it. "I would never do to you what that other man did. I promise you, I will devote myself to you and you alone. No one will take me from you."

Before Caroline could utter so much as a syllable in response, she felt his lips on hers again, kissing her softly. Shit, he really knew how to drive a point home, didn't he? She returned the kiss, feeling her blood begin to burn within her. After a few minutes, she pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"Klaus, I...I really don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," he replied. "Just let what I said sink in and you can tell me when you're ready."

Caroline nodded and kissed him again, not caring if the other passengers were looking at them as they walked by.

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? I was going to include a Kalijah scene as well, but I'm beat. Stay tuned for more!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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